


Water My Crops, If You Will

by Honey_Badger001



Series: Walls of the Heartland Divine [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Childhood Friends, Dark Undertones, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, More angst, Reiner's Father - Freeform, Running Away, Underage Drinking, bad language, but alas, cursing, he deserves a father, swindling, vegetable stealing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-02-05 07:46:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12789993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honey_Badger001/pseuds/Honey_Badger001
Summary: On a road trip spanning an entire lifetime, there are bound to be character developments:Marcel develops a taste for cheep beer, and does not understand the proper use of the term "BF".Reiner develops a hatred for walls and realizes that he deserves an Oscar."Who cares if we're broke and technically homeless, we've got a dog now!" -Reiner, 2 years ago, when adopting said dog seemed like a good idea.





	1. Here Captain! dear father! You've fallen cold and dead.

**Author's Note:**

> "Reiner develops a hatred for walls and realizes that he deserves an Oscar." Yes I realize this. Yes, I intended this. *bows gracefully* 
> 
> \---------  
> The sequel to my previous (and so far only) work called "Catalyst". You don't need to read it to understand (though it could get a little confusing otherwise), here's the basic summary:
> 
> Reiner used to live in Texas and be friends with Bertholdt until Marcel moved in. Reiner's mom ran into some financial troubles, his home life wasn't so good, so he ran away with Marcel when they were 12. At 15 they bought a van and slowly made their way to West Virginia.  
> \---------
> 
> This fic:
> 
> takes place when they're both 16, on their way to West Virginia. 
> 
> Warnings: Mentioned homophobia, homophobic language, underage drinking, mention of heavy drugs (not consumed), swearing, pretentious 16 year olds, childhood memories, swindling, vegetable stealing.
> 
> Now completely updated based on information from SNK canon material (season 2 and ch 99)

"That'll be 10.89, please".

Canned beans, canned soup, crackers, cheese and instant noodles; it looks like ordinary camping provisions, decked out on the counter of the cheap rundown gas station.

Too cheap for a camera.

The tired lady at the check-out smiles at Reiner, he came here alone, or so she thinks.

"Yes ma'am." Checks his wallet. "Sorry, I've only got small change, that OK, ma'am?"

"'Course it is, son. Tell me, where's a strappin' young fella like you off to?". She welcomes a small chat. It's a change in her dreary routine. 

"I'm meeting my cousin in the next town over, we're going fishing together, if the weather's alright, ma'am." His politeness pleases her. She's always wanted a son like him. Healthy, proper, polite. Her own son sells crystal. 

"The weather's gonna be just fine, son. This your van out there?" She looks outside. Shabby yellow van, shabby but functional.

Reiner casts a panicked look through the store's window front, too. Thank god Marcel is of the other side of the van, not visible from here.

"That's my van alright. Fixed it up myself, but I'm afraid it's not much to look at, ma'am." Humble. But damn, he's proud of their baby. He secretly calls her The Daffodil, but Marcel doesn't like that name. Says that their van is too piss-colored to look anything like a daffodil, and that the only similarities it shares with the flower is that is breaks just about as easily. Calls him a dork. Reiner loves it, because he knows that Marcel's proud of their baby, too. 

"My, you must be real skilled for a boy your age. You work in a garage?". Her son doesn't even make his own crystal, he just buys and sells. 

"I help out at my pop's whenever I can." Lies. Never had a father. Knew a lot of his mom's suitor's, though; some pleasant, some thoroughly unpleasant, most disinterested. 

"You're a good kid, helping out your father." Oh, how she wishes for a son like him!

"Thank you, ma'am, I try my best. He's done so much for me, you know?"

 

There was one, when Reiner was 6 or 7, the one that stayed the longest, the one his mother never really recovered from. An older man, in his mid 30s, blond with icy blue eyes. Authoritative, with a scary face, but only until you got to know him personally. Reiner sometimes hates himself because he doesn't remember the man's name. 

The one they were both hoping would ask her to marry him. Reiner had been ready to call him 'dad'. Had so, on occasion. 'Dad' seemed like an angel, the ones he heard about in church on Sundays. Comes out of nowhere; Mother falls head over heels, he doesn't care that she has a child, welcomes it even; plays catch with Reiner on warm Friday afternoons, always seems to make time for both of them. All of a sudden their empty home seemed to be filled with sunshine, laughter, and a year of absolute bliss. His mom made apple pies with cinnamon again (she usually forgets the cinnamon) and it's perfect. Reiner loved it, could have spend the rest of his life like this, because this is finally a home, they finally belong somewhere.

Until 'dad' met his mother's coworker and fell in love himself. What follows is a night of long shouting and his mother's tears, and 'Dad' himself cries too, apologizes over and over and over, says that he does love the two of them, that they've become a family, but Mother won't have it. 

Reiner can't hate him, wants to, desperately, but can't. Because the evening of the argument, when Mother and 'Dad' have both tucked him in, he stays for a while longer, says he wants to talk to his boy. Reiner loves that, is ecstatic, 'his boy', it seems like for sure he will really become his dad now. But it's not like that. Reiner remembers this part very well. 

'Dad' tells him how proud he is of Reiner. Tells him how great Reiner was doing in school, how great his friends were, how well-behaved he was. Then, very calmly, he explains that there are two types of love: The love you share as a family and with friends, and romantic love; the kind that pulls you in and doesn't let go at all, ever, and the kind that you need to follow. And he says that this is his problem. He very calmly explains to Reiner that this does not mean he loves him any less, that this is not Reiner's fault, or his mom's fault, or that this makes their time together a lie. He explains, in the same gravelly voice that read Reiner bed time stories, that helped him with his reading homework, that calmed him down when he got upset over things his mother just didn't  _understand_ , that he met someone that pulls at his chest like this, that he has to follow, that he can't let go, even if it means hurting everyone around him. He explains that he has to leave now, and that he will have a talk with Reiner's mother, and that she will be upset and say things that she doesn't mean (Reiner knows that people say things they don't mean when they're upset, 'Dad' taught him that, too), but that Reiner shouldn't believe everything she says about 'Dad'. He asks, almost begs Reiner, not to think of him as a bad person, says that it's none of their fault, everyone is just how God made them. Reiner wants to hate him, really does, but can't, because he understands. Not fully, not really, but he understands in his own way, doesn't blame anyone. Hugs the angel one last time, kisses him goodnight, calls him 'Dad', and goes to sleep. 'Dad' stays for an hour, then heads out to talk to his mother. 

He is gone the next morning, and that Saturday Reiner is standing in a raging crowd with his sobbing mother, holding a sign he can't read yet, but he forgives her, forgives him, because it's no-one's fault. 

 

"As all fathers do for their sons. And mothers too, mind you!" Her ugly voice pulls him back to today. He fights hard to keep the smile.

"Of course, ma'am, mothers most of all." He hates her now. Marcel better hurry up with that fuel, Reiner's not going to last much longer.

"Oh, what a charmer. But tell me, is there perhaps a special girl at home you work your charms on?" She does dream of grandchildren.

"Isn't there always, ma'am?" He knows by now that he has more in common with 'Dad' than he first thought. But she doesn't need to know.

"Now don't go sounding too confident there, son! You treat her right, you hear me? You do right by her." Her own husband never did. 

"Of course I will ma'am. A gal like her comes 'round once in a lifetime." She'll love that. Will eat it right up.

"With a fella like you chasin' after her, she better be." She always thought that she was a once-in-a-lifetime girl, too.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'd love to chat more, but I better get going if I wanna make it anywhere tonight." Marcel's done with the gas, he lit the van's blinker twice. 

"Oh of course dearie, here you go, here's your bag." 

"How much was that again?"

"Oh, it's on the house, don't you worry." For utterly pleasant company, she can spare 10 odd dollars. She had an awfully good time.

"Thank you so much ma'am! Have a great day!" 

"You too hon, and stop by again if you're around!"

"Will do, ma'am!" He walks out, briskly but not too fast. He feels fantastic. That's over 20 dollars saved. No gas money paid, and nothing for the food; the day can't get any better. 


	2. A Butterfly flaps its wings...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm hungry, and there's a river here. We're staying tonight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretentious 16 year olds being immature. This is more of a lead-in chapter to set the scene for Ch3

Brisk steps. Driver's door opens, closes.

"WHASSAP FLY GUY!" And there's Marcel. He gets in Reiner's face, worse than their dog Jaws. 

"Ew! You smell like you just gave that gas pump a blowjob!"

"You smelling my mouth now Reiner? You're just jealous!"

"Of the gas pump? Yes. Absolutely. This gas pump is a threat to our marriage, Marcel."

"Oh whatever shall we do about that, honey?"

"I don't know, maybe get out of here before that cashier lady starts looking out the window?"

"Then fucking DRIVE, man!"

"Alright alright, driving."

The van speeds off, leaving only dust and a cheated gas station cashier behind. 

 

While Reiner is in the driver's seat, Marcel goes through the bag he brought with him.

"Canned soup? Awesome, man! I'd love to eat more canned soup."

"It's a different brand this time, check it out."

"Hm.  _'Progresso'_. Sounds fancy. Are we treating ourselves?"

"I promised the cashier I'd treat my girl right." 

"So I'm your girl now."

Reiner pauses. Panics. Calms down within two seconds, and grins.

"Well, I AM sitting in the driver's seat."

"Talk to me again when you can grow a beard."

"Your weird mustache hairs don't count Marcel, they make you look more like a pedophile than an adult."

Conversation over. Marcel grumbles and crawls into the back of the van, where they've heaped 3 mattresses on top of each other across the back to make the world's softest, most comfortable and smallest bed for two. It's 3 single mattresses, so not a lot of space, but Marcel insisted the softness would make up for the lack of space. Reiner doesn't mind, this way there's more space in the rest of the van. 

Reiner leans back into the driver's seat, and lazily focuses on the empty country road. 

This is the life. No school, no parent, no responsibility to anyone except the two of them. He doesn't have to impress anyone, doesn't have to hold back on saying anything, because if one of them says something weird they tell each other. It's freeing. It's fantastic.

And the 20 dollars they saved is going to get them a long way. He's proud of how he talked his way out of paying. How he's the one that can talk his way out of almost anything. Makes him feel useful, in control.

Fuck, he deserves an Oscar, or something. 

"Ey, beefcake, pull over. Jaws is getting antsy, and I need to take a leak too."

Good God, he loves this. Loves everything about this life they've made together. Not for one second does he miss anyone at home, ever. 

He pulls over. 

Door opens. Jaws runs out, Marcel runs out, Reiner gets out of the seat. 3 hours of driving, gone just like that, Reiner is amazed.

"When you're done, it's your turn to drive, Marcel." 

"Nah. It's 5 o'clock, I'm hungry, and there's a river here. We're staying tonight."

Perfect. Even better. He stretches out on the heap of blankets in the back of the van, and closes his eyes. 

Drifts quietly.


End file.
